Counter UAS Technologies for India: A Prognosis Unmanned systems pose grave threat to several countries and their interests due to a number of reasons: low barrier of entry into the procurement sector, commercial availability off the shelf (COTS), ubiquity, persistence and low radar cross section (RCS). Due to this, counter drone systems have been either deployed piecemeal or existing air defence systems have been used to fill the gap. The Indian Armed Forces have a very limited experience of dealing with either drones or counter-drone systems in an operational environment. The Jammu attack using improvised drones was a wake-up call. Akshat Upadhyay | October-December 2022 | Journal of Defence Studies
I2U2: A New Template for Cross-Regional Cooperation The I2U2 is a promising initiative with immense potential for cross-regional cooperation. Md. Muddassir Quamar | September 05, 2022 | Issue Brief
The Pacific Islands and Geopolitical Jostling: Can India Play a Stabilising Role? India can carve a niche as a capacity-builder in helping the southern Pacific countries meet developmental goals and tackle climate change. Shruti Pandalai , Akash Sahu , Shruti Sharma | September 02, 2022 | Issue Brief
Changing Security Dynamics in the Arctic and India’s Approach India needs to strengthen its existing bilateral relations with all the Arctic countries and continue to re-emphasize its call for peaceful resolution of Arctic disputes. Bipandeep Sharma , Uttam Kumar Sinha | September 01, 2022 | Issue Brief
US Relations with China in Perspective Ever since the communist victory and establishment of a People’s Republic (PRC) on the mainland, China has greatly influenced the basic tenor of American policies in Asia. For the United States, the fact of China going communist was indeed a traumatic experience as China had a special place in the American psyche.1 Historical links of trade, missionary activities, intellectual curiosity, extra-territoriality and war-time camaraderie had brought the US closest to China in Asia. These links disintegrated in the aftermath of the communist victory. T. Karki Hussain | September 2022 | Strategic Analysis
The Future of Energy Consumption, Security and Natural Gas: LNG in Baltic Sea Region Energy transition is defined as a structural change in energy balance when some fuels are replaced with others. This process of structural transition, however, does not lead to an ultimate replacement of fuel but a substantial reduction of its share. Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is widely considered a transition fuel that will eventually lead to a shift to the renewable energy system. LNG provides an alternative to coal, oil, nuclear energy and pipeline gas, as it helps reduce carbon emissions. Pramod Jaiswal | September 2022 | Strategic Analysis
Dispatches from the South China Sea: Navigating to Common Ground James Borton in Dispatches from the South China Sea primarily dwells on the interactions between humans and the environment in the South China Sea. Through his journalistic acumen, Borton intricately embarks upon anthropogenic catastrophes such as coral reef destruction, overfishing, illegal annihilation of sovereign territories, evolving environmental refugee crisis (both forced and motivated environmental migration), over-exploitation of resources by China to mention a few. Mrityunjaya Dubey | September 2022 | Strategic Analysis
Balochistan: In the Crosshairs of History Balochistan is one of the most restive areas in Pakistan that has endured systematic and extraordinary suppression at the hands of the Pakistani State and its security forces. The Baloch form a distinct ethno-national identity, and dream of creating a Baloch nation-state, but this runs contrary to the overarching Pakistani identity and State, attracting their fury. The Baloch have struggled for decades for international recognition of their plight but have hardly received any support. Saman Ayesha Kidwai | September 2022 | Strategic Analysis
Eastwards Ho? India’s Relations with the Indo-Pacific Eastwards Ho? India’s Relations with the Indo-Pacific edited by E. Sridharan comprising 15 essays by renowned experts on Asian geopolitics, seeks to place India on the strategic map of the evolving Indo-Pacific region as an economic and geopolitical power. At the outset, the editor provides a succinct overview of economic integration in Asia, particularly of China with its neighbours reflected in a massive increase in bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements (FTAs). Akash Sahu | September 2022 | Strategic Analysis
Ordering Violence: Explaining Armed Group-State Relations from Conflict to Cooperation In 2022, the ceasefire between the Government of India and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim–Isak-Muivah (NSCN–IM) entered its 25th year. While the ceasefire has greatly reduced violence between the group and security forces, it has by no means ended it. Alex Waterman | September 2022 | Strategic Analysis